


Triple the Trouble

by pinegreenapples



Series: Coldflash For A Fortnight [4]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Domesticity, Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 23:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7075444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinegreenapples/pseuds/pinegreenapples
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Len really doesn't know why he still brings Barry along on his shopping trips. He knows it will always end with a visit to the pet store no matter what. It's like clockwork at this point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Triple the Trouble

It had been a routine shopping trip for the two of them, out to the grocery store and back. Or at least, it should have been. 

Barry and Len had just finished their shopping and were walking to their car when Barry tugged at Len’s arm.

“Len, can we go to the pet store? Please?” He looked up at Len, puppy dog eyes bigger than the moon and Len felt the  _ no  _ on his tongue begin to dissolve.

“Barry,” He sighed, “We can’t keep visiting the pet store every time we go grocery shopping. You saw the kittens and puppies two weeks ago.” He tried to walk in the direction of their car but Barry kept him rooted to the spot with his hand on Len’s bicep.

“But, what if there are  _ new  _ kittens and puppies? What if the ones I saw two weeks ago were adopted and there are new puppies and kittens from the shelter?” Barry looked distraught at the thought of not being able to see these alleged new baby animals.

Len tried very hard not to be swayed by the pouty lip and upset eyes. He tried not to think of how mopey Barry would be for the rest of the day. How he would sigh and shuffle about, voice monotone and dull. It took an extra ten seconds this time before he finally gave in. 

It was like a flip had been switched. Barry lit up like a lightbulb and quite nearly dragged Len to the cartoon dog and cat painted on the windows of the doors.

The pet shop was well lit and smelled like cardboard and pet food. Neat rows of cage cleaning supplies, pet food, and toys marched down either side of the store in four long columns. Len was pulled along through the center to the very back. There sat the gigantic play pen where the adoptable animals were let out to play with humans. Len could already see at least two kittens romping around. 

Barry stood at the edge of the play pen and gushed at how adorable the kittens were. There was a dark brown one that was chasing after a feather toy the employee was swishing back and forth, another orange tabby looked pleased as punch as it chewed on a fake mouse, a third sat on the cat bed and surveyed the proceedings with the grumpiest expression Len had ever seen on a cat. 

Barry giggled and elbowed him before pointing to the grumpy grey kitten. “That’s you!” He said and burst into giggles again. Len glared, affronted at the comparison.

“I am  _ not  _ that grumpy. That cat looks like something died in front of it.” He sniffed disdainfully.

Barry broke out into full blown laughter. “Whatever you say, dear.”

The employee turned to face them, a bright smile on her face. “Would you two like to come meet our new kittens?” 

Len didn’t think it was possible, but Barry managed to brighten even further as he carefully stepped over the fence. He sat down and picked up a feather wand. The dark brown kitten immediately streaked after it with an excited chatter.

The employee gestured to the chocolate kitten, “That one’s Candice. She loves to play and explore and she rarely ever isn’t up and active during the day.” She pointed to the orange tabby. “The orange tabby is Dominic. He’s pretty easy going. He is a little destructive, so if you have any beloved furniture I would cover it.”

Len smiled faintly as Barry bobbed his head, hanging on the employee’s every word. 

“And finally, Mr. Grump-a-saur is Tom. He likes to climb and pick fights and that’s about it. He’s kind of a pain, but he can also be real sweetie, you just have to catch him when the celestial bodies have perfectly aligned.”

Barry laughed and the employee smiled back.

“Are you two considering adopting? These kittens need a home too!” She looked so earnest. Len decided he definitely had a problem when it came to do gooders with large, innocent eyes. They tugged at his conscience.

Barry looked briefly at Len before dropping his eyes back to Candice, grin muted. “We’ve been considering it.” He said, hesitantly. 

_ Fuck it. _

“Which one do you like, Barry?” He drawled. Barry looked up sharply. He searched Len’s face before breaking back out into that gigantic smile.

“I like them all!”

“We are not getting three kittens, Barry.” 

_ Famous last words. _

***

Len watched as Tom jumped up onto the coffee table and sniffed the scientific magazine Barry had placed there that morning.

“Tell me again, why I have three cats roaming my house?” 

Barry peeked through the kitchen doorway. “Because they were triplets! You can’t just separate siblings, Len, that’s awful.”

“Yes, I don’t know how I’d be able to live with myself.” He remarked. Barry’s head stuck out of the kitchen again.

“I heard that sarcasm, Leonard Snart, See if I go easy on you next time you pull a heist!”

Len snorted. “Woe is me.”

Barry glared. “I don’t know why I ever thought dating you was a good idea.” He muttered. 

Len observed as Tom began to knead the journal before he sat down on it, purring like the world depended on it.

“Hey Len, do you think fifteen seconds is long enough to warm cat food? I don’t want them to burn their mouths.” Barry called out from the kitchen. Len put a hand to his temple and closed his eyes.

“How should I know, Scarlet? I’ve never had a pet before.” He yelled back.

There was a soft screech and then an almighty crash. Len’s eyes flew open and he began to make his way to the kitchen.

“Barry?” He called.

“Oh no! Dominic! That was Len’s good china!” 

Len entered the kitchen to see Barry standing at the dining room table holding a shard of what looked like a plate. The orange tabby sat on the table and watched as Barry scolded him. It seemed as if the lecture passed completely in one ear and out the other. Dominic even got up before Barry was done and jumped off the table, probably to continue destroying things, the little asshole.

“Well,” Barry sighed, “She certainly wasn’t lying about the destructive tendencies.” He flashed past Len and cleaned up the mess before Len opened his mouth to reply.

“You’re the one who wanted all three.” He walked back out to the living room. He decided he’d read for a bit before he made dinner. As he turned to sit in his chair, he noticed a small, dark brown bundle.

“That is  _ my  _ chair, cat, get out.” He growled. Candice yawned and snuggled deeper into the dip of the chair. Len counted to ten. Candice still hadn’t moved, in fact, she looked even more comfortable than she had ten seconds ago.

“Right, that’s it.” Len scooped the kitten out of the chair and dumped her on the floor. Candice looked wildly disoriented for a few moments before she sat and began to tamp down the fur Len had ruffled. As Len settled in with his book, something jumped onto his lap. He looked down to see Candice. She looked at him with something akin to annoyance and set herself delicately against his legs as if she were challenging his claim to the chair.

Len frowned at the cat. When she didn’t move, he decided he could live with having a cat on his lap. They sat like that for about an hour, during which Barry came over at least three times to coo over how cute it was- not that Len was counting or anything, he was entirely too mature for that. Len had to get up to make dinner but he had a cat. Part of him said to just shove Candice off his lap but another part said to stay another hour until Candice decided to get off herself. He decided to try and solve the problem by bringing in a third party.

“Barry, I don’t suppose you could take the cat?” He gestured to Candice. Barry tilted his head and pursed his lips.

“Nope!” He said and walked out of the room. Len cursed his lineage colorfully in his head.

He tried to gently maneuver Candice off his lap. She mrowed in protest and clung to his pants with her claws. After a few minutes of an exercise in futility, Len detached Candice’s claws from his pants and picked her up as he stood up. He placed her back in his chair and glared.

“Only this once, got it cat? I’m not letting you sit there anymore after today.” Candice looked unimpressed with his declaration and went back to her catnap.

For Len, preparing food was relaxing, he could almost settle into a rhythm as he set out ingredients and began cooking. It was decidedly less relaxing when Dominic ran off with a chicken strip and hid under the bed. Barry and him spent ten minutes taking turns attempting to coax Dominic to give up the chicken strip. Eventually, Barry had to just grab Dominic using his speed. The kitten looked slightly dazed at moving so quickly but he quickly recovered to run back to the kitchen to acquire another piece of chicken. This time, Len was prepared. He caught the wayward kitten and marched him back to Barry.

“You bought him, you deal with him.” He ground out. Barry gave a sheepish laugh as he held onto the squirmy cat.

The rest of the evening went on without any major hitches. For the most part, the cats behaved themselves and Len felt that maybe he could stand having three cats.

Len changed his mind. He was never going to like having three cats. He and Barry had just climbed into bed a few minutes ago when three small dips to the mattress were added. Len felt more than heard the telltale purring of three self satisfied kittens as they explored the bed. One bumped into Len’s chin and purred louder. It’s fur tickled his neck.

“Barry,” He ground out, “There is a cat in our bed.” Len felt Barry turn over to face him.

“Three, actually. All of them came to visit.” Len couldn’t see it, but he just knew there was a shit eating grin on Barry’s face.

“I want them gone.” He enunciated, each syllable bit off.

“Aw, c’mon Len, don’t be a meanie. They just want attention.”

“They can have it later.”

Len imagined the pout on Barry’s face in the ensuing silence before Barry sighed. He picked up all three kittens and placed them on the floor.

“Sorry, guys, boyfriend’s orders.” He murmured to them. Just barely after Barry had laid back down, those three points of pressure joined Len and Barry in bed again. Len felt Barry’s shoulders begin to shake and he let out a breath.

“They can stay for one night.” He muttered. “After that, they have to stay out.”

Barry’s hand reached forward and grasped Len’s.

“Thank you.” He whispered. Len felt the day’s frustrations with the kittens fade into nothing in front of those words.

“You’re welcome, Scarlet.” He whispered back. Maybe he could learn to live with cats if it meant Barry was happy.

Then again, he thought, as a furry butt propped itself against his mouth, maybe he couldn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> If you were wondering, Dominic is Mick, Candice is Iris, and Tom is E 2 Harrison Wells.


End file.
